Since You've Been Gone
by PuppiesCanFly
Summary: Reyna is reflecting on her relationship with Jason now that he has left with Piper and the rest of the crew of the Argo II. Based on the song Since You've Been Gone, by Kelly Clarkson. ONESHOT (Sorry about my uninteresting summary- I promise the story is better than that!) A bit OOC


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or the song.  
Constructive criticism and/or comments appreciated!**

Reyna sat down hard on her bed. Jason and his crew had just flown off in their war machine, and in return she had set the Legion after them. For some reason, it felt like betrayal to her. Yes, Leo had blown up the Forum, but... that was Jason that she sent her army after. For some reason- maybe some Aphrodite magic- a song started playing out of nowhere.

**_Here's the thing  
We started out friends  
It was cool but it was all pretend  
Yeah, yeah, since you've been gone_**

_**You're dedicated  
You took the time  
Wasn't long till I called you mine  
Yeah, yeah, since you've been gone**_

That sounded like her semi-relationship with Jason! This had to be Aphrodite's doing. Reyna remembered when she and Jason first became an unofficial couple. They never truly kissed or anything, but it was a known fact that the two praetors were destined for each other. At least it was obvious until Jason came back with the Graecus hanging off his arm.

**_And all you'd ever hear me say  
Is how I picture me with you  
That's all you ever hear me say_**

Back after a meeting with Octavian... Jason sat across from Reyna, laughing. She tried to keep a straight face, then gave up, and started giggling. Jason fell onto the floor, tears beginning to pour down his face. "I didn't know you could laugh, Reyna!" he chortled.  
"Even the greatest praetor will laugh when Octavian puts in a request for his teddy bears to be fluffier so that he can get better service- when he slaughters them!" she smiled as she sat down on the floor next to him. That day was when they started to make plans for their future- together- sitting on the steps leading to the Forum, deciding everything from what they would do with the praetorship to their "hypothetical" relationship.

**_But since you've been gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on, yeah yeah, thanks to you  
Now I get what I want, since you've been gone_**

Jason was gone now. With that... Piper girl and the rest of their brigade. And Reyna had set her troops after them. She had to admit, even though it hurt to see Jason with another girl, it was almost better this way. It never would have worked between them: Jason was grounded by Reyna. And not in a good way. Every child of Jupiter needs a bit of grounding, but enough for them to fly. He was a leader, but he was a free spirit; she was always the tough, straight-laced leader. Reyna felt like dead weight the whole time, even though she was always the one in charge. But now... Jason didn't even seem to remember their plans for the future. Was this a good thing? Was it time for her to finally let go, with no regrets or restraints?

**_How can I put it? You put me on  
I even fell for that stupid love song  
Yeah yeah, since you've been gone  
_**  
While Jason was missing, Reyna spent a lot of time sneaking out to the mortal world to look for him. Not long enough for the excursions to be dangerous, or that the Legion would notice, but enough time to try to find him. From time to time, when she stopped to look for Jason in some mortal shops, Reyna would hear songs about love playing on the mortal radio. Some of them described perfect relationships that sounded like all of her wishes for Jason and herself.

**_How come I never hear you say  
I just wanna be with you, why  
I guess you never felt that way_**

During the few months before Jason disappeared, he and Reyna would take long walks around Camp Jupiter. They would talk for hours, but she noticed that he never brought up their future again. Sometimes she would try to steer their conversation in that direction, but Jason would smoothly change the topic. In retrospect, Reyna realized that Jason probably didn't even realize that she had feelings for him.

**_But since you've been gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on, oh yeah, yeah, thanks to you  
Now I get, I get what I want  
(Since you've been gone)_**

_**You had your chance, you blew it  
Out of sight, out of mind  
Shut your mouth, I just can't take it  
Again and again and again and again**_

Right after Jason left, Reyna found a one way Iris message waiting for her in her room. It was from Jason- an apology. He said, "Hi, um, Reyna... I just wanted to apologize for Leo. He was possessed by an eidolon, who forced him to fire the ballistae," Reyna heard a girl's voice- probably Piper- yell at Jason to apologize for being insensitive to his fellow praetor. Jason gave a nervous smile. "Yeah, um, Reyna? I wanted to apologize for not thinking of you-" Reyna swiped her hand through the mist. Jason couldn't even apologize to her by himself? He needed his girlfriend to tell him what to say. Reyna couldn't take it! He really was oblivious to her feelings!

**_Since you've been gone  
(Since you've been gone)  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah, thanks to you  
(Thanks to you)  
Now I get, I get what I want_**

Just before Jason went missing, Reyna dreamt that Lupa came to her. She was not speaking to Reyna, but to someone just beyond her, whom Reyna could not see. Lupa quietly sighed, and said, "You must either live with us and respect our ways, or return to your home and never come back. You cannot live with a paw in each world." Reyna had promptly woken up, and deemed the dream unimportant. But now it made sense- Lupa was talking to Jason. And he had made his decision: Greek. Reyna always felt that Jason didn't quite fit in with the strict demigods of Camp Jupiter. She realized now that his decision was probably the best choice for the both of them.

**_Since you've been gone  
I can breathe for the first time  
I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah, thanks to you, thanks to you  
Now I get  
(I get)  
You should know, you should know  
That I get, I get what I want_**

Reyna slowly stood up from her bed and let out a long sigh, full of memories. In that instant, she realized that Jason was never the one for her. They could still be friends, but never as close as before. But right now, he was in trouble, and so were his comrades. She moved to her door, looking out at the rising sun over the ruined Forum. Reyna glanced back to her bed for a moment, before opening the door and whistling for her pegasus, Scipio. She patted her old friend's flank, and mounted him. "To Jason," she whispered in Scipio's ear. He whinnied in return, and took to the sky. Reyna looked down on Camp Jupiter one last time before she took off towards the ancient lands.

**_Since you've been gone  
Since you've been gone  
Since you've been gone_**


End file.
